2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Research highlights mentorship, support, and resilience as essential factors driving the success of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The multi-institutional undergraduate research program discussed here aims to enhance the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of URM students in STEM through academic support, research opportunities, and professional development initiatives. This paper presents a formative evaluation of the program from 2019 to 2024, focusing on the program's evolution.
We examine personnel changes, shifts in methodology, and students' perceptions of the program to offer valuable insights for future program improvements. These findings will guide the next steps in enhancing the program and can inform similar initiatives striving to improve STEM education practices. By sharing this evaluation, we aim to contribute to better programming and more effective strategies that promote the success of URM students in STEM disciplines.
The program provides undergraduate students with an 8-week summer research experience, during which they work 30 hours per week on research projects at various institutions in the United States. Students receive guidance from faculty mentors and campus directors, engaging in professional development opportunities such as abstract and poster preparation, and delivering 1-minute elevator speeches. Each student is paired with a faculty mentor or doctoral student who supervises their work, offering guidance, training, and encouragement. Mentors are selected based on their research expertise, mentoring experience, and willingness to participate in the program. In addition to the faculty mentor, students benefit from the support of a campus director, the program associate director, and their peers, who collectively contribute to their professional development.
This evaluation synthesizes findings from qualitative and quantitative data sources, including student surveys, and focus groups with students and faculty from 2019 to 2024. Our analysis revealed consistent growth in students' confidence, research skills, and readiness for graduate school and STEM careers. However, several challenges persisted, such as logistical barriers, financial strain, and variability in mentorship quality. We recommend improving pre-program preparation, enhancing mentor guidance, increasing stipends, and fostering social capital within the program. Despite these improvement needs, the program has successfully developed a supportive and inclusive research environment, with many students reporting strengthened career trajectories in STEM.
Based on the collected data, we recommend several key steps to strengthen the current and similar programs. We recommend a yearlong research experience at each student’s home institution, to reduce time to degree of participants, enhance accountability at the local university level, and streamline program logistics. This approach will eliminate the need for students to relocate, reducing financial stress by avoiding housing searches and travel expenses. We recommend offering clearer guidance and support for mentors, ensuring a more intellectually and socially supportive environment. We recommend more flexible, streamlined, and integrated professional development opportunities tied to each student’s university, such as utilizing the library and submitting work to institutional undergraduate research conferences. This approach aims to deepen students' connection to their institution, ensuring they are familiar with and can leverage its resources effectively. To maintain continuity within the program, we recommend implementing strategies to preserve institutional knowledge, including appointing co-directors to ensure smooth transitions as staff members change. Lastly, we recommend tracking student progress after graduation by collecting personal information to monitor their journey and provide ongoing support when needed.